# How to punish douchebags who stop over pedestrian crossings?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 13, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593 "2015-02-13T18:24:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/1 "2015-02-13T18:24:46Z")
I have almost been hit by a douchebag fuckwhit who thought it was a great idea to cross a red light over the pedestrian crossing. Today, another imbecile douche stopped over the zebra stripes with his SUV. I am getting fed up with people who don not respect pedestrians. Is there an easy way to punish them? I was thinking of making bumper stickers with phrases that go like “I am indeed an arrogant bastard and I think I am better than other people” or something like that. Any other ideas?
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### Author:  [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/2 "2015-02-13T19:13:16Z")
> [@Artemis\_Tardis](#):
>
> I have almost been hit by a douchebag fuckwhit who thought it was a great idea to cross a red light over the pedestrian crossing. Today, another imbecile douche stopped over the zebra stripes with his SUV. I am getting fed up with people who don not respect pedestrians. Is there an easy way to punish them? I was thinking of making bumper stickers with phrases that go like “I am indeed an arrogant bastard and I think I am better than other people” or something like that. Any other ideas?
If someone sticks a bumper sticker on my car right in front of me, they better be a lot bigger and/or faster than me, because I’m going to be very pissed.
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### Author:  [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/3 "2015-02-13T19:35:33Z")
As young teens we sometimes unlatched the hood (or bonnet as I see you call them zebra stripes) of cars that did this. Nowadays that’s impossible with most cars as hood releases are mostly inside the car.
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### Author:  [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/4 "2015-02-13T19:47:05Z")
If you are feeling really brave you could just walk across the hood/bonnet of the offender’s car.
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### Author:  [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/5 "2015-02-13T19:59:36Z")
I usually just shake my finger at them as I walk by. No, not flip them off. Scold them like a bad student.
Of course, I’m a big guy so the chances of an encounter like\*\* SpeedwayRyan\*\* suggests are pretty rare.
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/6 "2015-02-13T20:01:13Z")
pull your pants down and put a butt print on the windshield.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/7 "2015-02-13T20:05:56Z")
**Moderator Action**
This is more opinion and advice than factual.
Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion.
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### Author:  [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/8 "2015-02-13T20:08:58Z")
I was in New York City once when I saw a cabbie almost hit a pedestrian. Who was carrying a golf club (IIRC, there’s a putting range a few blocks away). Who swung the club hard into one of the doors of the cab and then walked away. 😛
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### Author:  [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/9 "2015-02-13T20:21:48Z")
> [@Artemis\_Tardis](#):
>
> I have almost been hit by a douchebag fuckwhit who thought it was a great idea to cross a red light over the pedestrian crossing. Today, another imbecile douche stopped over the zebra stripes with his SUV. I am getting fed up with people who don not respect pedestrians. Is there an easy way to punish them? I was thinking of making bumper stickers with phrases that go like “I am indeed an arrogant bastard and I think I am better than other people” or something like that. Any other ideas?
That’s pretty much what the organization [StopHam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StopHam_(organization)) does in Russia, although a look at some of their videos will give you an idea of what you might be in for if you try it.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/10 "2015-02-13T20:52:01Z")
> [@Artemis\_Tardis](#):
>
> Today, another imbecile douche stopped over the zebra stripes with his SUV.
This one I feel I’m seeing more and more lately mostly because of the red light cameras. Chicago has them set to the federal minimum in general (and sometimes a little less–I recently successfully got one revoked because the camera was a wee bit short), and drivers thinking they have enough time to cross suddenly realize they don’t, so end up stopping somewhere in the crosswalk. And once you’re stopped there, you’re not really supposed to backup. Hell, it’s happened to me when I thought the guy in front of me was going to clear the intersection well in time, so I was already in the crosswalk, and then he decided to wait for a few more cars to pass, so I was essentially stuck in the crosswalk. Yes, I should have waited behind the crosswalk, but I was trying to clear as much traffic as possible so the folks behind me had a chance to turn.
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### Author:  [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)
#### Post date: [February 13, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/11 "2015-02-13T21:50:35Z")
[One option](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6FqvKVh4Ro), though I can’t say I’d really recommend it.
[Maybe you have some friends who like a good workout?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-btF0_ToIs)
[Or just hit it with your purse.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuj9tU5tAP4)
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### Author:  [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/12 "2015-02-14T00:27:26Z")
> [@Artemis\_Tardis](#):
>
> … I am getting fed up with people who don not respect pedestrians. Is there an easy way to punish them? …
Toss a sticky bomb on the car, and once you are a safe distance away, detonate it. (I’ve been playing a lot of GTA 5 lately.)
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### Author:  [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/13 "2015-02-14T02:36:17Z")
Humor aside, realize people have been hurt or even killed by unnecessarily escalating such “road rage” situations with (perhaps crazy) strangers…
Sure, people can suck - I’d advise accepting that as a basic fact of life, and walking defensively…
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/14 "2015-02-14T03:08:37Z")
[no shit!](http://youtu.be/pt62tgu84UE)
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/15 "2015-02-14T03:25:05Z")
Last time someone tried that with the little ramp off of the curb, I handily had a set of keys in my hand that ended up getting ground against their lovely painted fender. Oops. Sorry, in a wheelchair I can only really go forward in the direction I was previously going and to make it down the curb cut, I was riiiiiight up against YOUR car. Sucker.
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### Author:  [@DoggyDunnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoggyDunnit)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/16 "2015-02-14T03:43:27Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#):
>
> I usually just shake my finger at them as I walk by. No, not flip them off. Scold them like a bad student.
Living in the sprawlburban capital of America–Texas–it’s very common for asshole drivers to have a very dim view of pedestrians. When it comes to people who stop in the crosswalk–and, for that matter, the assholes who fail to yield for pedestrians while turning–I do precisely the same thing as **BubbaDog** here. I shake my finger old-school-teacher-style at them.
If they give me the bird, I return two birds. 🙂
If they have the window down, I also add in a nice, “READ YOUR DRIVER’S MANUAL!”.
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### Author:  [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/17 "2015-02-14T04:04:18Z")
Take a photo of the car and send it to the cops .
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### Author:  [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/18 "2015-02-14T05:27:55Z")
> [@Projammer](#):
>
> [Or just hit it with your purse.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuj9tU5tAP4)
Not real. It was a commercial for I don’t remember what.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/19 "2015-02-14T07:07:59Z")
I live in a ski resort area.
We have LOTS of pedestrian crossings. And the drivers are very good at stopping for them.
But you see, they step out, and are not ready to cross. They are just looking around. Waiting for friends, whatever. We even have a special word for them. ‘gappers’ Just taking in the view. Oh. After you stop, they wave the stopped vehicle on. Like they are doing you a favor after you stopped for them. “We are just standing here looking at the view”
Please don’t stand in a crosswalk unless you are crossing. That goes for everyone. If you have the right of way, take it.
It works both ways.
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### Author:  [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)
#### Post date: [February 14, 2015, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-punish-douchebags-who-stop-over-pedestrian-crossings/712593/20 "2015-02-14T08:47:35Z")
You wouldn’t believe how many cars blow right through the crosswalk while I’m standing in it right at the edge of the parking lane, waiting… a whole block away from the “IL LAW, CARS MUST YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS IN CROSSWALK” sign in the middle of the street.
The sign itself disappears on a regular basis, too. It’s been replaced like 5 times in the last year or so.
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